The present invention generally relates to adapters for miniature type tape cassettes, and more particularly to an adapter for use with a miniature type tape cassette which has a size smaller than a standard type tape cassette and is loaded independently into a recording and/or reproducing apparatus of a type different from a standard type recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
Presently, video signal recording and/or reproducing apparatuses using tape cassettes are reduced to practical use on the world-wide basis. As types of these recording and/or reproducing apparatuses using tape cassettes, two or three standardized types of apparatuses presently exist world-widely. There is no interchangeability between apparatuses of different standards, however, the interchangeability exists between apparatuses adopting the same standard. Accordingly, a tape cassette recorded by one recording and/or reproducing apparatus can be reproduced by another recording and/or reproducing apparatus of the same standard. Hence, in order to ensure the interchangeability between different recording and/or reproducing apparatuses manufactured by different manufacturers so as to perform recording and/or reproduction, a standardization is established with respect to formats of the tape cassette and the recording and/or reproducing apparatus. That is, the above formats are standardized for each standard, and a standard type tape cassette and a standard type recording and/or reproducing apparatus are respectively manufactured and marketed under each standard.
Recently, a problem of much importance involves the realization in downsizing the recording and/or reproducing apparatus main body. This is to develop a more compact portable type recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and, for example, to realize such an equipment that a recording apparatus is unitarily built into a television camera.
Accordingly, in order to downsize the recording and/or reproducing apparatus without changing the formats of the tape cassette and the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, a miniature type tape cassette was proposed in a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 322,174 now abandoned entitled "MINIATURE TYPE TAPE CASSETTE" filed Nov. 17, 1981 in which the assignee is the same as that of the present application. This proposed miniature type tape cassette has a size smaller than the standard type tape cassette, and is loaded independently into a recording and/or reproducing apparatus of a type different from the standard type recording and/or reproducing apparatus which carried out recording and reproduction when loaded with the standard type tape cassette. Further, an adapter for a miniature type tape cassette was proposed in a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 322,767 entitled "ADAPTER FOR A MINIATURE TYPE TAPE CASSETTE" filed Nov. 19, 1981 in which the assignee is the same as that of the present application. The proposed adapter has an external form and size identical to the standard type tape cassette. This proposed adapter is designed so as to accommodate the miniature type tape cassette therein, and is loaded into the standard type recording and/or reproducing apparatus in a state where a tape is drawn out of a cassette case of the miniature type tape cassette to form a predetermined tape path within the adapter.
In the above proposed adapter for the miniature type tape cassette, a loading manipulation lever and a cover for covering this manipulation lever are provided at the rear of the adapter case. After the miniature type tape cassette is accommodated within this adapter, the above cover is opened to enable manipulation of the manipulation lever. By carrying out a series of operation in which the manipulation lever is rotationally manipulated and the cover is thereafter closed, the predetermined tape path is formed within the adapter. The adapter is loaded into the standard type recording and/or reproducing apparatus in this state where the predetermined tape path is formed within the adapter.
However, in the proposed adapter for the miniature type tape cassette, the manipulation lever is receded within the adapter case both before the manipulation lever is manipulated and after the manipulation of the manipulation lever is completed. As a result, the adapter may be loaded into the standard type recording and/or reproducing apparatus in a state before the manipulation lever is manipulated. Further, it is impossible to determine the state of the tape path within the adapter, that is, whether the predetermined tape path has been formed within the adapter from outside the adapter. Accordingly, the adapter may be erroneously loaded into the standard type recording and/or reproducing apparatus in a state where the miniature type tape cassette is merely accommodated within the adapter and the manipulation lever has not been manipulated to form the predetermined tape path within the adapter. If the adapter is erroneously loaded into the standard type recording and/or reproducing apparatus in this state, the tape loading mechanism of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus cannot intercept and engage the tape. Thus, the tape loading mechanism cannot load the tape within the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and the picture will not be reproduced on the television receiver no matter how long the operator waits. Such a situation may not be readily understood by the operator, and the operator may think that the apparatus is out of order.
In addition, in the proposed adapter, the cover must first be opened before manipulating the manipulation lever and closed thereafter in order to form the predetermined tape path within the adapter. However, such manipulation of the cover was trouble some to perform.